Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-01-08
Saturday, January :, 1887.

HE iuttTsldtc COuliilcTCc Dlii as
viewed from a railroad standpoint by
the we'll known railroader, George X.
Blanchard, who expresses his views
in letter to the New York Times, l.
that conservative railroad managers
agree that 1t should prohibit discrimi-
mating preferences aud unreasonable
rates, and require publicity and ade.
quate legal penalties. This entities
their grounds of dissent from its
long and short haul and anti-pool-
ing provisions to fair consid Grafton.
The ''length of haul" problem has
similarly perplexed all countries
where solution was easier than. with
US. It's solution cannot be easiest in
country offering the greatest mileage
and complications which Increase in u
geonetrical ratio. The great carrying
wrongs alleged before the Hepburn
committee In this state have all been
silently corrected without legislation
as to length of haul by the almost un-
exercised police. power of the state
commission. Given fair and access
sible national commission, the rail-
ways would even more promptly cor
rect unjustifisb!e rates and carrying
conditions. In regard to pooling,
which the bill prohibits. Mr.. Blan-
chsrd says: The underlying motive Of
this prohibition is that IL railways can
be legally stimulated to disunited
strife by denying them the right of
united cooperation the public will
benefit. No more superficial vi W
could prevail and it is clearly political
rather than practical. Rival rates
must be made by some form of agree-
ment between rival carriers, and
agreement Is equally necessary Ia
thereafter maintain them. Oth-rwi-e
each company will make it, own
rates, which l. discrimination and
their non-sgreed charges will pro-
duce more discrimination. Moreover.
shippers must know their rates
before shipping, but railways need
not III the government owneu
every railroad In the Union
il would be required 10 make
equal rates under equal conditions, Us
they do equal customs ald postage
dues. IL would also require an organ
izatiou. or pool" 10 maintain it,
equal rates OF transportation as il now
requires customs house pool" and a
postOffice pool" The states have not
been able alone to regulate this ques-
ton, hence the present action by the
general government. Widely seplr-
ated and as independently chartered
common carriers have not, for similar
reasons. been able 10 regulate il with
out a just railway federation, which
the government would adopt and
strengthen aud not abandon IL Il
owned and operated them. Whatever
rates are unreasonable, the law and
commission should reduce to reasona.
bleness, but therefore the same reason.
able rates can and should and will ex.
ist with or without pools. II, there.
fore, rates be reasonable. it has never
been shown what proper public inter.
est attaches TO the mere methods by
which they are made or maintained OF
the tonnage or revenues derived there.
from are divided between the several
first carriers any more than among
their second connections. There IL nc
testimony that can prove that the
legal rates are wrong, or are extortion
ate or can do harm simply because ad
ministered by pool. This bill onl,
requires that each company or rout'
shall charge the same rate 10 all. Il
therefore stops short Of what II should
require, or at least legalize that al
companies between the same point,
charge the same rates. In this broad
mercantile aspect the pool IL justel
than the law, because II the eight rail
ways from Chicago eastwardly max,
different rates to New York, the result
upon the commerce OF both cities /,
precisely as discriminating, non-unl
form, preferential and disastrous as !
the same eight rates were made owe
one railway.